Elyne Mitchell (1913 - 2002) was a writer whose books were all based firmly in the Australian landscapes she loved. She started writing during the Second World War, when there was an upsurge in literature based in Australia as the threat of invasion by the Japanese threw Australians back on realising the beauty and strength of their land. Elyne Mitchell, in an interview with Jeff Prentice, said: “we thought we might lose Australia...”

Elyne Mitchell herself lived in the Snowy Mountains area of the Australian Alps, which is where her most popular series, The Silver Brumby, is set. She started writing the Silver Brumby books to give her daugher, Indi, something to read: books were hard to get, and Elyne wanted her daughter to read books with a strong Australian content.

The early Silver Brumby books blend their descriptions of the wild Australian mountains effortlessly with the adventures of the Brumbies. Elyne Mitchell’s horses all talk, something which can often be an awkward literary device, but the horses do behave like horses, and their lives are portrayed vividly and realistically: Bel Bel’s bones bleach on the Ramshead.

The Brumby series is a lengthy one. The fifth book, Silver Brumby Whirlwind, was described on its publication as the last of the series, as Thowra dies, but the following books are connected, with Thowra’s sons appearing. Moon Filly, whose action is chronologically after Silver Brumby Kingdom, does not involve the Silver Brumby horses, but is a connector, as Thowra meets the Moon Filly horses’ offspring in Silver Brumby Whirlwind. The later books, which move the Brumby history on after Thowra’s death, I found over-written and almost alien: instead of being effortless the writing seems uncomfortable and the horses peculiar. Not I know an opinion that many of my mailing list share, but I think her first four books, and Moon Filly, are her best.

The Silver Brumby has been made into both a cartoon series (1994), and a film (The Silver Brumby/The Silver Stallion, 1993), starring a young Russell Crowe. The film has had Elyne Mitchell and her daughter Indi written into it, so it’s rather a different thing to the book.

Bel Bel gives birth to Thowra on a dark, stormynight. Thowra grows up with his friend Storm, underthe leadership of the stallion Yarraman. The Brolgafights and kills Yarraman, and Thowra, Storm and a group of other colts leave the herd. The colt Arrowhates Thowra, and tries to fight him, furiously jealous once Thowra and Storm take some of the Brolga’s fillies. Arrow is defeated, and Thowra then takes the creamy mare Golden from man.

Kunama is the Silver Brumby’s daughter, whosemother is the mare Golden. Kunama is enchantedby the black stallion Tambo, and goes after him,but this gets her into terrible trouble when she encountersmen. Not only does she have to try and avoid the men,particularly after they have captured her and she hasescaped, the stallion Spear wants her too. At last, sheis captured again, but the boy who rides her understands her true nature, and in the end he lets her go.

Thowra now has a grandson, Baringa, sonof Kunama, another silver horse like his sonLightning. Baringa has inherited his sire’swisdom: Lightning has not. Baringa wins thelovely filly Dawn, and eventually a beautiful filly owned by a mad stallion. Despite the threat to him that Lightning provides, after he gets himself and his herd into trouble during the snow, Baringa rescueshim.

Lightning steals some horses, and Baringa loses Dawnin a flooded river. While he is looking for her, he encounters the filly Yarolala, and the killer stallionBolder. Baringa and Bolder fight until they collapse,leading Yarolala to think they are dead. Thowra hearsthis, and sets out to look for Baringa and Dawn.

Thowra sees a filly dancing, and has to go after her.She is the daughter of Ilinga and Wurring, and his huntfor her leads Thowra to some very strange country indeed.

The Colt at TaparooHutchinson, 1976, illus Victor Ambrus

Dragon, pb, 1978. Cover Gordon Crabb, illus Victor Ambrus, 140 pp.

The fastest foal born that spring at Taparoo is Fire, Gay’s beautiful chestnut colt. When they rideout into the plains and mountains, they are often attacked by the bad tempered mare Queen andher colt, but can’t understand why. Then they remember the mystery surrounding Fire’s birth, andstart to wonder just which horse was his father.

“Buzz, the thoroughbred colt from the Snowy River homestead, is the favourite of Mary Anne Reidand her brother James. One wintry night the colt disappears. The Reid family spend days lookingfor him, camping out at night under the stars. They search for a year in all seasons, without success.The following Spring, Mary Anne and James set out again.

The stallion Buzz and the filly Yarrawa have a son, Nooroo, even faster than his father. Then,whilst running away from a pursuer, Nooroo is terribly injured. Buzz heads for Mary Anne, sureshe will look after his son. They then face the task of rescuing and nursing a brumby in the snow,with wild weather and other, warring stallions. Is it best to let Nooroo go back to the wild, or staywhere he is safe?

Brumby RacerHutchinson 1981, illustrated by Victor Ambrus

Nooroo is the son of Buzz, who featured in Snowy River Brumby. His life is divided between racing, and living free as a brumby. Nooroo has conflict in his life: there’s the siren call of Babila,a red-bay Brumby mare, but then at the ranch lives the pony mare he loves, Honey.

Silver Brumby, Silver DingoAngus & Robertson, 1993

A ferocious storm parts the foal Tiarri from his mother, fortuitously dumping him next to anorphaned dingo pup. Then the dingo is threatened by an eagle, but is saved by Tiarri. Afterthis, the three creatures: horse, dingo and eagle, form a bond, and fight to survive togetheras the two young creatures try and find their mothers.

Dancing BrumbyAngus & Robertson 1995

Choopa is a little blue roan foal with mis-shapen legs, who nevertheless dances like an angel. Hisdam, Dandaloo, fears for his safety, and leads him up into the mountains, away from harm.However, there is one man who will not give up his search: he once trained Lipizzaners at the Spanish Riding school, and is determined to search for Choopa.

Brumbies of the NightAngus & Robertson, 1996The blurb:“Burra knows this foal will bring trouble. It cannot be Coolawyn’s foal - none of the herd has seena snow-white foal with such strange red eyes before. Who is he really? Why is it now that thedrumming hooves of galloping horses are heard in the deepest dark of night? In the beating stormsof winter, a mare cries out in desperation... A stallion callls, searching...”

The Thousandth BrumbyAngus & Robertson, 1996

What an achievement it would be to catch 1,000 brumbies: man is in the mountains again, andhunting horses. The stallion who is the hunter’s aim does however have help, in the unexpectedform of a working dog, and a dingo.

Silver Brumby Stories Vol 1Diamond, London, 1993

Contains:The Silver BrumbySilver Brumby’s DaughterSilver Brumbies of the South

Choopa is threatened again: this time by Old Strawberry, a roan stallion who takes against theugly little horse, and hunts him down. Choopa however decides to mock the older, bigger stallion,who has a beautiful miniature daughter Choopa wants for himself.

Told from the horse’s point of view, this is Karloo’s story, which starts in August 1914 as heand his master Dick are loaded onto a troopship, with the rest of the Australian Light Horseon their way to war. They land in Egypt, where victory is short lived.